Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent | Safwat Saleem

Summary

Safwat Saleem, a visual artist and animator, shares his journey of self-expression through his work, which includes humorous animations and educational videos. Despite facing criticism for his Pakistani accent, he initially avoids using his voice in his art. However, he challenges societal norms by embracing his unique voice and accent, drawing parallels to how ancient cultures recognized colors only after they could produce them. Saleem encourages us to continuously redefine 'normal' to see the true diversity of our world.

Takeaways

• 😴 The speaker used to have a recurring dream of being unable to speak in social situations, reflecting their anxiety and past experiences with stuttering.
• 🎨 As a visual artist, the speaker finds joy in creating humorous and poignant animations, often providing voice-overs for various characters.
• 🎬 The speaker's work on an educational video about video game history was initially well-received, boosting their confidence and sense of achievement.
• 👎 Negative comments about the speaker's voice and accent on the video led to a setback in their self-esteem and temporarily halted their use of their voice in their work.
• 🤔 The speaker's childhood experiences with stuttering were marked by avoidance and silence, as they felt different and struggled with the fear of being judged.
• 🔍 The concept of 'normal' is explored through the speaker's personal journey and the historical example of color perception in ancient cultures.
• 🌐 The speaker challenges the audience to consider how societal expectations and preconceived notions of normalcy can lead to discrimination and exclusion.
• 📚 The lack of diversity in children's literature is highlighted as a missed opportunity to expose children to a broader range of experiences and perspectives.
• 💪 The speaker decides to embrace their unique voice and accent, using their work and platform to challenge and redefine what is considered 'normal'.
• 🌟 The speaker concludes by encouraging continuous questioning of societal norms, drawing a parallel to the ancient Greeks' evolving perception of the color blue.

Q & A

What is the recurring dream that the speaker describes at the beginning of the script?

The speaker describes a recurring dream where they enter a room full of people, trying to avoid eye contact. When someone approaches and asks their name, they panic and are unable to respond, leading to an awkward silence followed by others in the room asking if they've forgotten their name.

What does the speaker enjoy doing as a visual artist?

As a visual artist, the speaker enjoys creating little animations where they get to do voice-overs for various characters, including a bear, a whale, a greeting card, and Frankenstein's monster.

What was the speaker's experience like when they first saw positive comments on their educational video about the history of video games?

The speaker was excited to see positive comments on their video, feeling like they had finally arrived when people other than their mom were saying nice things about their work online.

How did the speaker react to the negative comments about their voice in the video?

Initially, the speaker took the negative comments about their voice personally, but they decided to ignore them and continue working on the second part of the video.

What is the speaker's personal challenge with speaking?

The speaker has struggled with stuttering for as long as they can remember, which made speaking difficult and often led to them avoiding situations where they had to speak, such as raising their hand in class or answering the phone.

How does the speaker use audio editing in their work?

The speaker uses audio editing to refine their voice in their work, comparing it to Photoshop for the voice, where they can slow down, speed up, deepen, or add an echo to their voice, and fix stutters.

What realization did the speaker come to after receiving negative comments about their accent?

The speaker realized that 'normal' is largely based on expectations and what people are accustomed to, and they decided to challenge the preexisting notion of normal with their work, voice, and accent.

What historical example does the speaker use to illustrate the concept of 'normal' being based on what we are exposed to?

The speaker uses the example of Ancient Greek writer Homer, who mentioned very few colors in his writing, suggesting that cultures only began to recognize a color once they had the ability to make it, thus making it part of their 'normal'.

How does the speaker relate the concept of 'normal' to societal discrimination?

The speaker relates 'normal' to societal discrimination by pointing out that expectations of what is normal can lead to favoritism and discrimination, such as reviewers finding more spelling errors in writing they believe is from a black person, or resumes with white-sounding names getting more callbacks.

What is the speaker's message about challenging the notion of 'normal'?

The speaker encourages challenging the notion of 'normal' to allow society to see the true diversity and richness of experiences and perspectives, comparing it to how the Ancient Greeks eventually recognized the color blue after centuries of not seeing it.